The use of stadiums and arenas to hold concerts and sporting events is well-known. In this regard, such facilities have the ability to accommodate thousands of individuals to thus maximize live, first-hand attendance at a given event. To maximize space efficiency, the most common design for virtually all stadiums and arenas include rows of seats arranged in tiers or a terrace-like arrangement. Such seat members typically comprise a backrest member, a seat member, which typically is transitional between an open, operative configuration and a folded, non-operative configuration, and opposed arm rests members.
Hand-in-hand with the practice of staging events in concerts and arenas is the practice of operating concessions. Indeed, virtually every major event held in a stadium or arena deploys the use of multiple concession or refreshment stands whereby those attending the event can enjoy a meal and a beverage during the same. As is widely regarded, the food and beverage provided by such concession stands not only adds to the enjoyment of the event, but further can generate substantial revenue. This revenue can further be augmented to the extent souvenirs and other memorabilia commemorating such event are sold along with food and beverages.
Notwithstanding the complimentary nature concessions provide to stadium and arena events, substantial problems exist for spectators who wish to enjoy their food and beverage while sitting within the stadium or arena. In this regard, due to the limited space provided for a given seat in a row of seats, there is typically no place for a given spectator to put his or her food and beverage during the event. As such, most spectators are relegated to having to eat the food from their laps while placing their beverage on the ground. The latter practice is particularly problematic due to the great tendency to knock such beverages over, especially by being kicked aside due to the high degree of foot traffic moving in and around the rows of seats.
In fact, the only alternative to intermittently holding and placing such beverage on the ground is to permanently hold such beverage. Such practice, however, can cause great discomfort to the spectator and further, increases the likelihood that the spectator will spill such beverage on him or herself. This possibly is particularly likely during sporting events where it is commonplace to jump up and down from the seat to applaud for a team or watch a crucial moment in a sporting event, such as the last play of a football game. In fact, by virtue of having to hold a given beverage, a spectator is even precluded from clapping his on her hands to applaud a great play, thus detracting from the enjoyment of attending the event.
While it is known in the art to provide arm-rest members incorporated into the seat or chair members that have a pre-molded, generally-annular shape for receiving and holding a beverage, such beverage receiving apparatus has numerous drawbacks. Specifically, such beverage holders, which are formed as stationary items that protrude into the isle by which spectators access a given row of seats can get in the way of people moving thereabout. Additionally, due to the dissimilar size of most cups, cans and the like, such pre-formed angular beverage holders cannot accommodate any one specific type of cup or can. Furthermore, such beverage holders have a tendency to break over time and, because of the permanent nature by which the same are installed, require extensive time and labor to replace.
As such, there is a substantial need in the art for a beverage holder that can quickly and easily be utilized to provide individual spectators seated within a stadium or arena with means to hold a beverage while enjoying a given event. There is a further need in the art for a beverage holder that can be quickly and easily fastened to a seat situated within a stadium or arena that can be installed or withdrawn by a given spectator. Still further, there is a need in the art for a beverage holder that does not interfere with the ability for spectators to move about a given row of seats within a stadium or arena that may further serve to act as a souvenir item or as a means of advertisement.